Manufacture of carbon-tetrafluorid gas.



I PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905. J. A. LYONS & E. G. BROADWELL.

MANUFACTURE OF CARBON TBTRAPLUORID GAS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 16, 1903.

alluznfow UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHNn. LYoNs AND EDWARD'C. BRoADWELL, or cmcaeo, ILLINOIS.

MANUFACTURE OF CARBON-TE'TRAFLUORID GAS,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 785,961, dated March28, 1905.

' Applicatin amuseme t 16.1903. Serial No. 173,386.

.5 (look and State of Illinois, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Manufacture of Carbon-Tetrafluorid Ga s, ofwhichthefolloW- ing is a specification.

Our invention relates to the process of proro v ducing, by means ofelectrolysis, carbontetr'afluorid gas from the fiuorids ofthehighly-electropositive alkaline, alkaline earth, and earth metals;potass1um,'sod1um, lithium, calcium, barium, strontium, .magnesium,manganese,

. 1'5 chromium, and aluminium being produced at the same time asby-products.

B le we are aware the fluorids have been used lgiiretofore as a solventfor the oxide of the metals to be obtained electrolytically andthatfluorids without such oxid or other compounds dissolved in them havebeen decomposed by an electric current, no attempt, to our knowledge,has beeri made to combine the fluorin gas with carbon to obtain the veryval-. 2 5 I uable carbon-tetrailuorid gas.

The object of this present invention is to so combine fiuorln gas andcarbon that carbontetrafiuorid gas may be produced at a low cost andrendered. commercially available for the cheap production of artificialalcohol, acetic acid, formaldehyde, &c.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the means for effecting the result ref- 3 5erence is had t o the following description, and

to the accompanying drawing, in which a sectional view of our preferredform of electrolytic cell is shown; but we do not wish to limitourselves to an y particular form of cell or me- 4o terial.

Referring to the drawing, a is a crucible formed'of any suitable metalin common use adapted for the purpose, which rests upon a wall 6, withinwhich may be built a fire (not shown) fdr heating the crucible andkeeping its contents inamolten condition. Upon the crucible rests acover a, of'earthenware or other non-conducting material, provided witha central opening d about which, on the un- ..50 (her side ofthe-cover,is attached a partitlon e,

of graphite or other suitable material,- not neeessarily porous, whichsets down within the crucible and reaches almost to the bottom thereof,as shown. Through the opening (Z in the coverc is slipped a vessel f,formed of a suitable non-conducting material, having an open-workbottom-g, a cover IL, provided with I a central opening t', and havingan opening j above the crucible e on one side, through which anysubstance desired may be fed, and

a branch or exit l2, also above the-crucible a,

for the escape .of -th'e gas to be formed. Through the opening i in thecover It is slipped a stick of carbon or graphite Z,'which reaches tothe bottom of the vessel and forms the anode of the electrolytic cell.WVe preferably use the inner lining of the crucible (6 for the cathode,although an extra rod or plate of any "suitable materialmay be suspendedtherein,

if so desired.

Vile prefer to make all the elements above described circular in sectiononaccount of. cheapness of construction; but obviously they may be ofany cross-section and our rocess be equally well conducted therebys.

in carrying out our invention afoundationbath wt, preferably of sodiumand potassium fluorid, although the fluoride of any of the alkaline,alkaline earth, or earth metals may be used, and the fluorid OaFi isnamed as a suitable and practical fluorid to be used, is'

placed in the crucible a and kept in a molten state by means of anyexternal heat and through the opening j is slipped a quantity n ofcharcoal, lampblack, or other suitableiearbonaceous material, whichsurrounds the lower portion of the anode and floats upon the surface ofthe bath at. The quantity of soft carbonaceous material added issufiicient tovmake, with the hard carbon or graphite, a perfect anodeand to protect the latter from unnecessary disintegration. Theelectrodes are then connected in circuit to some suitable source ofelectrical energy, and the bath m is electrolyzed by a low-pressurecurrent, about eight volts having been found suflicient. Thereupon themetal basesodium, calcium,

potassium, &c., according to the particular .fluorid that may be usedwill be deposited alkaline, alkaline earth, or by-product. At the sametime liuorin gas being liberated at the anode instantly combines withthe surroundingcarbonaceous material, producing carbon ctraliuorid gas,which may be led oil through the exit or duct iv to any suitablereceives. Since the combination of the lluorin with the carbon isinstantaneous, there is practically no free liuorin gas in existenceduring the process. The reaction talccs place at an approximatetemperature of 1,004) ccntigradc.

It will be noted thatsurroumling the anode with the carbonacetuismaterial 1/ protects the comparatively costly anode from unnecessaigvwaste, and thus cheapens the cost of produc tion of the gas, besidesperforming its main function of furnishingcarbon to the lluorin. Alsothe partition 1' effectually prevents loss arising from the linorin orearlmn-tetrafluorin gas reaehing the deposited metals. The bath may beheptfusml by any suitable means, the lire being shown as one form ofsuch means, and the electric current may be made. strong enough tolllftllltitil'lSllCil state of fusion should it be desired.

llaving thus described our invention. what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The. process of producing carbon-tetralluorid gas from the liuoridsof the electropositivemetals, consisting in passing of electricitythrough a fused bath of the lieorid of such metal in the presence of a.cathode l sub ecting the fluorin gas and an anode and liberated at theanode to the action of carbonaceous material immediatelysurrolmdingtheanode.

2. The process of producing carbon-tetra the electrol lluorid gas fromthe l'luo'rids of positive metals, which consists in passing a earthmetals'as a l.

l l l l l l l I l I i I l l i l l i l a current current of electricitythrough the fiuorid of any of said metals in the presence of a suitablecathode and a carbon anode and subjecting the liuorin gas liberated atthe anode to a separate body of carbonaceous material im mediatelysurrounding the anode, whereby carbon-tetrafiuorid will be instantlypro- -duced and any molecular fiuorin that may be created will beconverted to said carbon-tetrafluorid gas, and the be deposited at thecathode.

3. The process of producing carbon-tetraiiuorid gas which consists inpassing an electrolytic current through a fused bath of the finorid ofone of the clectropositive metals and subjecting the tiuorin gasliberated at the anode to a bodyof carbonaceous material having analliuity for lluorin.

4. The process of producing carlmn-tetraliuorid gas which consists inpassing an electrolytic current through a fused bath of a fluorid of anelectropositive metal and subjecting the iluorin liberated at the anodeto a mass of carbonaceous material having an aflinitytherefor, and'rmmediately surrounding the anode.

The process of producing carbon-tetralluorid gas which consists inpassing an electrolytic current through n'ietallic liuorid in a state offusion and subjecting the fluorin liberated at the anode to a body ofcorbonaceous material having an allinity for fluorin immediatelysurrounding the anode.

' In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this-specilication inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. LYONS. EDWARD (J. BRUADWELL. Witnesses:

M A'l"l| i n w M URPHY, LADIMIR Mommy.

metals of the fluorids will

